


Relentless

by orphan_account



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst with a Happy Ending, Bloodbending (Avatar), Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Katara/Zuko (Avatar), F/M, Fire Nation (Avatar), Katara (Avatar)-centric, Slow Burn, Zuko (Avatar)-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:54:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26431504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Zuko and Azula must fight to determine the future of the Fire Nation while also fending off Team Avatar. When Zuko disappears, Katara makes it her personal mission to find him and put an end to the war. However, after a search mission gone wrong, they begin to realize things aren't always what they seem. Their loyalties are tested as they stand on the edge of a new era- and they may have to risk everything to make it to the other side.(In other words, basically reimagining the end of ATLA with an enemies to lovers Zutara slow burn and aged-up characters!)This is my first fic so I’m excited to share it and would love to know what you think. :)
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 57





	1. Chapter 1

Katara couldn’t stop. She’d never fought this way. With every labored strike of her arm or sweep of her leg, Azula was ready for her. Blue fire filled the courtyard around them, hissing into steam as it met the water that Katara bent mercilessly toward her opponent.

Zuko’s orange flames were also making it hard for her to keep up, though he was focusing mainly on his sister. Katara knew he’d come for her next, but for now, they had to corner her before the entire palace went up in flames.

 _Where is everyone?_ Katara glanced to the sky hoping to see Aang, Toph, and Sokka jump down from Appa. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could take them on alone.

Aang had just taken Ozai’s bending two days before, essentially taking over the palace. But, they knew that either Zuko or Azula wouldn’t hesitate to defend the throne. The two of them hadn’t been seen anywhere- until now.

Katara let out a frustrated grunt as she launched two bursts of water past Azula’s head, missing her completely. She knew if she didn’t do something now, she’d lose this fight. She let her arms fall to her side, causing Azula to relax her stance. Azula smirked, taking the bait.

“Giving up so soon?” she sneered as she prepared to blast the waterbender.

At the last second, Katara held up both hands. Azula’s body began to contort in the sickliest of ways, her arms were pinned unnaturally to her side. Azula’s face twisted in fear and confusion. Zuko looked on, stunned with horror.

“Katara!” Sokka’s voice cut through the courtyard.

Katara released her blood grip, and Azula fell to the ground. She whirled around. Her brother was standing under an awning with Aang and Toph. Aang looked stricken. Toph wasted no time metalbending a piece of iron off a nearby fence to fashion a cable-like restraint for Azula.

“Sokka, help me take her to a cell,” She instructed him. The two carried a barely conscious Azula away from the scene.

Katara struggled to catch her breath, but she wasn’t ready to give up. Without saying a word, she turned again, ready to fight Zuko. With great effort, she lifted all the water from the two ponds at either end of the courtyard, blocking the sky with the massive wave-like formation that eventually formed a ring around her.

But Zuko had already managed to clamber up the side of the courtyard wall, launching himself unsteadily onto a nearby roof. Katara blasted shards of ice that pierced the clay tiles, but she couldn’t seem to stop him as he matched every shot with fire. He eventually made his way to the other side and disappeared from view. She got ready to form an ice incline, thinking that she still had time to catch up with him, but Aang jumped in front of her, breaking her concentration.

“Katara, stop!” Aang shouted.

“What? He’s getting away!” Katara replied, frustrated. “We have the chance to finish this once and for all and you’re just standing there.”

“I think Zuko can be reasoned with.” Aang said. “We need him alive. He can help us.”

Katara let the water return to the koi ponds with a small splash. The Avatar then just looked at his feet, saying nothing. 

“What?” Katara asked, knowing from Aang’s expression that he wasn’t telling her something.

“You used bloodbending…” Aang said, gingerly. “You’ve never- I’ve never seen you-“

“I did what I had to,” Katara said defensively, though she wore a pained expression. “I had no choice. She was matching me shot for shot and we couldn’t fight forever.”

“You could have killed both of them,” Aang said.

“Aang, you know I don’t want to _kill_ anyone,” Katara replied, trying to be understanding. “But, we’re trying to stop a war. We aren’t kids anymore. I was on my own- and now Zuko’s gotten away.”

Without waiting for Aang’s response, she turned to go inside. Aang stood dumbfounded as he watched her walk away. She’d talked about her encounter with Hama, but she’d refused to ever demonstrate bloodbending to anyone in the group. She always seemed to hate that she was capable of it, Aang thought. Sure, she was always a formidable bender, but it was like a switch was flipped when she encountered Azula and Zuko. She became a whole new fighter.

Zuko had watched their conversation from the doorway of one of the secret passages built into the side of the palace walkway roof. No one would be able to see him, but he had been able to make out most of the conversation.

Zuko had been surprised by Katara. She hadn’t held anything back as she attacked his sister. Azula had always used fear as a way to stun opponents, but Katara almost seemed to draw others in as she fought. And once you got to close, you were done for.

Zuko weighed his options. Both Azula and his father were now being held in the palace jail and he was next unless he could think of something quickly. He needed more time to come up with a plan. Now that Azula was no longer a threat, he had to figure out what to do about Aang and the rest of the group. He turned to make his way quickly through the tunnel. It was time to disappear.


	2. Chapter 2

“She’s probably plotting her escape right now.”

The group was seated around a round table in a palace meeting room, trying to make sense of the past few days. To no one's surprise, Zuko had managed to disappear from the city after his showdown with Azula and Katara. They’d searched every inch of the locked-down Fire Nation Capital and hadn’t found him. What's more, they also had Azula to deal with.

It had only been a few days since Aang took Ozai’s bending. The once-powerful Fire Lord had been in the jail beneath the palace ever since. Now that Azula was the most recent prisoner, they had to decide her fate.

“I say we take Azula’s bending and get it over with. Then we find Zuko and do the same.” Toph said, leaning back in her chair. At first, no one responded.

Katara looked around the table at her friends and her brother. Sokka looked so much like their father it was uncanny. Toph had grown taller, though she was still the shortest of the group. Aang could grow stubble if he didn’t shave his face for a few days.

They weren’t just kids on adventures with the Avatar anymore. Now they had mammoth responsibilities that they didn’t always feel ready for. It was the beginning of the end for the Hundred Year War, and it was Aang’s job to prevent the Fire Nation from being thrown into chaos with such drastic changes. But with Ozai and Azula locked away, and Zuko a fugitive, the Fire Nation stood to fall apart completely.

Aang and Toph weren’t even 20 yet, and Katara’s 22nd birthday had only passed a few months ago. They didn’t feel prepared to fill a power vacuum in the Fire Nation, or even to make the call on Azula’s bending. But the Fire Nation had become a lawless and directionless land. Leaders from the other nations trusted Aang to find a solution. Katara knew that Aang still somewhat resented, or feared, the responsibility on his shoulders. He was glaring at the table in front of them, his eyebrows knit in deep thought.

“I agree about Azula,” Aang said, finally. “And Zuko can’t have gone far. We can find him.”

“Do you think he’d go to Ba Sing Se?” Suki piped up. “For his uncle?”

“Probably,” Sokka said. “Who else could he go to that’s not already in the city now?”

“You mean like Mai and Ty Lee?” Katara asked. “Yeah, you’re right. They’re on house arrest and their homes have already been searched. Iroh is the only other person we know of.”

“He’d have to cut through the forests leading to Ba Sing Se to get there unnoticed,” Suki said. “He probably hasn’t even reached the city yet.”

“I’ll find him,” Katara said suddenly, but calmly. Again, no one replied for a moment.

“Katara…” Aang began, hesitantly. She quickly interrupted.

“Look, I didn’t mean to scare you all with what I did to Azula. I know you think that taking down the Fire Nation is some personal vendetta for me. Maybe it is.” Katara said.

“Scare us?” Toph scoffed. Sokka bit back a smile, but Katara ignored her comment.

“My point is, we've all suffered because of the Fire Nation. The fact that Zuko is still trying for the throne…after everything his family has done to this world- to all of us. I can’t stand to see him get away.” She said. “He needs to face what he’s done.”

“I can go with you,” Suki said. “We can have some Kyoshi Warriors join us. Everyone else can stay and hold down the fort.” Katara nodded and smiled at Suki in thanks. She was right that there wasn't a need for the entire team to go together, especially when there were so many daily problems they had to deal with in the Capital.

“Settled?” Katara asked the group.

“Fine by me,” said Toph.

“If I weren’t so busy with official Fire Nation business, I could join you. But I think you two will have it under control.” Sokka said, with a dramatic stretch. Suki rolled her eyes but let out a small laugh. After a beat of silence, Katara and Toph joined in. The table seemed to come up for air, just for a moment. Aang still remained quiet.

“I trust you, Katara,” Aang said finally. “And I’ll take Azula’s bending tonight.”

“We’ll leave first thing in the morning,” Katara replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~

That evening, Katara made her way down to the palace jail with Aang, Sokka, and Toph. They were quiet as they opened the door to the dimly lit corridor of cells. There were small high-up windows that let in some moonlight, but it was otherwise dark and eerily quiet. Aang created a flame from his palm to give them some light as they approached Azula’s cell.

“Where are the guards?” Sokka asked. The group immediately realized that her door was open. As was Ozai’s.

“Where is she?” Aang asked, shocked. They ran ahead, ready for a fight.

Azula stood inside Ozai’s cell, her fists clenched at her sides. She turned as she heard the door open. Behind her, her father was collapsed, lifeless against the stone wall. Two guards were knocked out cold on either side of her.

Katara immediately sent a blast of water around her before she could strike first, trapping her body in ice from the forearms down. Azula seethed and time seemed to slow as they saw her try to melt and shatter the ice- but Aang was quicker. He immediately moved to place a hand on her shoulder and forehead before entering the Avatar state.

Azula’s eyes widened before she winced in pain, but it was over in seconds. Azula was powerless.

Katara bent the ice into water carefully to lay her gently to the ground. Sokka went to get a closer look at Ozai, before turning around to shake his head at the group. Aang closed his eyes. Katara got to work trying to heal the two guards, who were thankfully still alive. Sokka and Aang lifted an unconscious Azula up by the arms to move her back into her cell. Without her bending, she wouldn’t be able to take on guards like that again. They couldn’t fathom how she’d managed to escape, much less get into Ozai’s cell. All Katara knew was that this had changed everything.

The Princess of the Fire Nation had murdered the Fire Lord in cold blood, and the next in line for the throne was nowhere to be found.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Katara found Aang sitting outside that night, alone on a bench next to an ornate fountain. The palace had more gardens than anyone could count, and it was easy to find a place to disappear. That is, of course, unless you were friends with Katara.

“It’s late,” She said, sitting beside him. Aang nodded but said nothing.

“You did the right thing tonight.” She assured him. “I know it was a tough call.”

“Thanks, Katara.” He replied, sighing. “And, I’m sorry for being so weird about your bloodbending. I was just surprised. But who knows what Azula would’ve done if you hadn’t stopped her back there.”

“It’s ok. We’re all on edge. But I just hope it’ll all be over soon.” She replied. “We’ll figure it out once we find Zuko.”

“Be careful in Ba Sing Se.” Aang said, turning to look her in the eye. “I don’t like us splitting up.”

“I will be.” Katara smiled softly. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back to boss you around before you know it.”

“You’re my best friend, Katara.” Aang said, still not looking away. “I’m glad I have you.”

“I’m glad I have you too.” She replied, earnestly. Katara got the sense that there was more he wanted to say, but he decided against it.

“I’m going to try and sleep again.” He said, heading inside. Katara was left alone on the bench. She listed to the water trickle down the sides of the fountain.

She felt a pang of guilt about Aang. It was no secret to the group that a childhood crush had formed between them, but in the end, it never became much more. Katara loved Aang, but they were so different. As they got older, they knew they couldn’t be truly happy together.

Katara was fiercely loyal to her friends, but she still wanted her freedom. And even Aang knew that she might end up in his shadow forever, despite being so powerful herself.

Katara tried to put these thoughts out of her mind as she wandered to her bed, mentally preparing for the tough journey ahead of her. She tried not to think of Zuko.


	3. Chapter 3

The heat was unrelenting, even as the sun was setting on Ba Sing Se. Zuko emerged from his hiding place as it got dark, moving to the edge of the rooftop to peer down at the city street below. He’d managed to find a place wedged between two buildings, where old crates had been stacked and the edge of a higher roof covered him from the sun.

When he peered over the edge of the building, he could see clearly through the Jasmine Dragon’s kitchen window. Zuko could catch glimpses of his uncle, and he could see who was coming in and out. It had only been a few days, and no one had shown up, but Zuko was certain that they’d eventually come looking for him here.

He hadn’t approached Iroh. He didn’t know how to face him, and he would only be putting him in danger by asking to hide above the tea shop. In a way, Iroh was partially why he’d gone back to try and stop Azula in the first place.

A badgerfrog croaked, hopping up on the ledge near Zuko.

“Hello,” He said quietly. The frog, naturally, did not greet him back.

“Ugh,” Zuko groaned. “I’m losing it.”

He thought about his last conversations with Iroh. He had come to see that his uncle’s rejection of everything their family had done had brought him peace, all things considered. Whereas, Azula had chosen to embrace the war ever since Zuko’s banishment. She’d seen a clear path to the throne and she’d taken it.

“But she’s given everything for it.” Zuko mumbled, partially to himself and partially to his frog audience. “Her whole life has been consumed by the Fire Nation. Her mind’s been warped by it.”

The more time he’d spent in Ba Sing Se, the more he saw that Ozai had only ever brought pain to the world. The Avatar was not the villain. But, even still, it wasn’t so simple.

If he gave himself up, he’d face consequences that would condemn his family forever. Everything his ancestors had done would be reduced to Ozai’s evil. He thought that maybe there was a way he could save his family without continuing the war.

He didn’t know why this sudden shift had happened. Maybe he felt defeated once he learned that his father’s bending was gone. Like he suddenly had nothing to fear anymore. And what was he really chasing? Honor meant nothing from his father.

Zuko watched as his uncle prepared tea methodically, having passing conversations with employees and walking back and forth through the kitchen, moving in and out of his view. He felt a wave of guilt wash over him for his indecisiveness. It should be easy to see that Iroh had chosen the right path.

But Iroh had no power. He was cut off from his family, and from his home. He was alone. His life was peaceful, but he had to give up everything to have it. A voice interrupted his thoughts from below.

_“Look, if I don’t laugh I’ll cry.”_

There was a group of five women, dressed in regular Earth Kingdom clothes, making their way toward Iroh’s tea shop. They stopped outside, and Zuko couldn’t make out what they were saying. Four of them walked on, while one turned to scan the street before opening the door and ducking inside.

Katara had come for Iroh.

\------------------------

After a few days of traveling, Katara and Suki were relieved just to have made it Ba Sing Se. It had been a boring but nerve-wracking journey, meaning the girls filled the time with conversation until they ran out of things to talk about. Suki mainly chatted with the other Kyoshi Warriors as they walked, as Katara was distracted and quiet. As they made it into the city, Suki saw Katara’s expression harden, no doubt from her anxieties about finding Zuko.

She decided she might try to take her mind off of it. The other Kyoshi Warriors had been talking their heads off about various crushes and hookups with people they’d met during their travels, but Katara had yet to bite.

“So, whatever happened with you and Aang, Katara?” she asked as they passed vendor stalls hawking fruits and textiles.

“What do you mean?” she asked, as the other girls got quiet to listen in.

“Uh, what’s it like dating the Avatar?” one of the Kyoshi Warriors, named Lia, asked. Suki scoffed, and she smiled apologetically but looked at Katara expectantly, nonetheless.

“We’re uh, not dating.” Katara struggled to answer. “I mean we when we were teenagers, he made some moves, I guess. But, we’re just good friends. Plus, that’s all kind of taken a backseat with everything going on right now.”

“That’s fair.” Suki said. “I’d tell you how things are with me and Sokka, but I figure you don’t want to know.”

The Kyoshi Warriors cracked up, and Katara even let out a small laugh. Suki seemed satisfied that she was loosening up a bit.

“You’re right,” Katara said, playfully. “I don’t.”

“So, what does Zuko look like?” Another Kyoshi Warrior asked.

“You’ve seen him.” Lia replied. 

“From a distance. Never up close. Like I couldn’t even really see that he had a scar.” she explained.

“He’s…not bad.” Lia said, smirking.

“Are you kidding me?” Suki deadpanned.

“What! We were all thinking it, I’m just brave enough to say it.” She exclaimed, laughing. The others piped up in agreement.

“I think it runs in the family.” One of them said. “We always thought Azula was hot too, but you can’t admit it.”

“Of course,” Lia responded. “You’re not picky. Any psycho warlord will do.”

 _“Look, if I don’t laugh I’ll cry.”_ She shot back.

“Don’t mind them.” Suki murmured to Katara as they slowed down to hang back from the others.

“They’re funny.” Katara smiled halfheartedly. She meant it, and in any other circumstance, she would’ve laughed along with them. But the truth was that even hearing Zuko’s name made her stomach turn.

She had jumped at the chance to track him down, but she really didn’t have a plan as to how she was going to find him. Ba Sing Se was a labyrinth and he’d had a head start. Plus, he’d seen what she was capable of, and he’d be more prepared to fight her the next time they met. All these thoughts swirled in her head as the girls walked.

The sun was setting as they arrived at the tea shop.

“Alright,” Suki said. “Showtime, Katara. We’ll spread out around here to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”

“Thanks, guys.” She said. The girls went their separate ways, filtering into the crowd. 

Katara entered the Jasmine Dragon quietly, trying not to draw attention to herself. The shop was lively with conversation as customers chatted and sipped from green and gold teacups. Katara wanted nothing more than to just stop and drink some tea.

She planned to just approach Iroh directly as she could be somewhat honest with him. He wasn’t like his brother, but he was still Fire Nation and fiercely loyal to his nephew. She approached a young boy at the counter.

“Hello,” She said. “Is Iroh around?” The boy shook his head as he dodged another server who was coming through behind him with a tray.

“Busy. Are you gonna order? There’s a line.”

“Try not to rush the guests, Tan.” Iroh said gently, as he appeared behind him. “I believe you were looking for me.” He was looking Katara in the eye with an expression she couldn’t quite place. 

“Maybe we could talk in private?” Katara said, sheepishly moving over to allow the woman behind her to step up to the counter. 

“Of course,” Iroh said politely. “Tan can keep an eye on things for a little while.”

She followed him upstairs and the noise from the tea shop faded away as she entered his quaint home. It was sparsely decorated in true bachelor fashion, but it was obvious that this was a cozy home for him.

“Make yourself comfortable.” He said as he prepared what was probably his hundredth cup of tea that day at his stove. “I can’t say I wasn’t expecting to see you eventually.”

“I’m sure you already know why I’m here, so I won’t waste your time.” Katara said, not unkindly. “I need to know if Zuko has come to see you.”

“No, I’m afraid I haven’t seen him for several months. He was in the Fire Nation Capital the last time I heard. But since you’re here I’m guessing something’s happened.” Iroh explained.

“He and Azula almost killed each other. I was trying to stop them. Azula’s locked up at the fire palace now but he got away. We’ve searched the entire capital.” Katara said. “The night before I left…Azula escaped and electrocuted Ozai in his cell. Aang took her bending.”

Iroh shifted in his chair and put down his tea. Katara couldn’t read his face.

“I hadn’t heard. News coming from the Fire Nation is slow.” Iroh admitted, not saying anything more.

“I’m sorry,” Katara said. “About your bother.” Iroh nodded and sighed. 

“I’m afraid for Zuko, and for Azula. All they ever learned in that place was anger- and violence. It was only a matter of time before things started to unravel,” the man explained. “Zuko has a good heart, he’s just…lost. I tried to help him in his youth, but he’s a man now. He has to make his own decisions. I’m afraid I don’t have much more to say that would help you.”

Katara nodded and sipped her tea.

“Could I search your home?” she asked, pushing down her urge to be embarrassed. “I’m sorry, but I just have to be sure.”

She was here for a specific purpose, and while Iroh seemed trustworthy, she had to be thorough. Iroh laughed softly.

“There’s not much to search.” He said. “But yes, there’s the other room there and the kitchen downstairs. Take your time.”

“Thank you, Iroh,” Katara said. “I’m so sorry…about how everything has turned out.” The man nodded as he got up to move toward the door.

“Well, you haven’t found him yet,” Zuko’s uncle replied. “There’s still some hope.”

Katara got up from her seat, thanking him again for the tea and kindness before she went to check the other room. He returned to the shop downstairs, trusting her to look around on her own.

His bedroom was empty, and Katara immediately felt that she was snooping. After giving the room a once-over, she decided it was time to find Suki and the others.

One the way out, Katara noticed his bedside table, where two photos lay. One was a portrait of his son, which she couldn’t bring herself to look at for too long. She’d heard the story.

The other was of young Zuko with his mother. She was gorgeous, sitting up perfectly straight without a hair out of place. Zuko beamed in her lap, his face bright and unscarred. She exhaled, heading downstairs to the kitchen. No Zuko.

She caught Iroh’s eye before leaving, waving to him with a grateful expression. She knew her intrusion was already forgiven, but she still felt guilty for even doubting him. And now she was leaving empty-handed.


	4. Chapter 4

It was dark now as she left Iroh’s tea shop and ducked into the alley that led back to the main square. She planned to run into one of the girls at some point. Her feet echoed on the cobblestones below, and she felt a shiver run between her shoulder blades. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched.

Zuko stayed a few steps behind her, always sure to be out of sight when she turned to look inconspicuously over her shoulder. Right before she was about to step from the alleyway into the busy square, Katara felt a hand on her shoulder and gasped at an unnatural hot sensation at her back.

“Had a nice chat with my uncle?” Zuko muttered. He had a small knife-shaped flame pressed to her.

Stunned, she said nothing.

“We need to talk.” He said. “Let’s get out of here so we don’t make a scene, alright?”

Katara sharpened her gaze as she quickly uncorked the water that hung at her side and formed an icicle in her hand, faster than Zuko could react. She grabbed the wrist that was at her back and spun around to hold the sharp point at his neck.

“I’m not here to talk with you.” She replied.

Zuko let out a frustrated grunt as he stepped back, preparing to fight her.

 _No going back now_ , Katara thought. She was the first to act, bending the icicle into water again and aiming straight for Zuko’s eyes. He fought back with a blast of fire from each fist, which knocked her back into the square. She immediately got back up, bending the water into a ring around her.

“Give it up, Zuko! Come back with me now and we don’t have to do this.” She shouted. People had begun to take notice of the scene they’d created, including, much to Katara’s relief, the Kyoshi Warriors.

“Katara!” Suki called over to her. “Finally!”

Zuko was quickly surrounded and distracted. He sent some blasts at the girls as they approached, seemingly from all angles, but he was outnumberd. Suki wasted no time chi blocking him with some quick strikes to the back. The girls quickly dragged him away to the next street over, away from the incredulous crowd. Ba Sing Se officers would be looking for them already. Firebending was certain to attract police attention in the Earth Kingdom.

Two of the Kyoshi Warriors held him up against the wall by the arms as Katara began questioning him, her hands balled into fists. She hurled questions at asked if he’d been watching her, if Iroh knew and had told him somehow.

“I haven’t visited my uncle,” Zuko said. “I’ve just been…watching out for him. He doesn’t know I’m here. I saw you go to the shop today- probably to threaten him, right?” Katara scoffed at this.

“I wasn’t threatening Iroh.” She said, with a sarcastic smile. “We just had some tea, that’s all. But don’t worry, he didn’t give you up. You did that on your own.” Anger flashed on Zuko’s face at her words.

“What exactly is your plan, Zuko?” she continued. “How long do you think you can keep running like this?”

“As long as I have to.” He said. “I have a responsibility to the Fire Nation.”

“You’re dragging the war out.” She replied, folding her arms. “You’re the last man standing, and you have the chance to end this.”

“I don’t need to explain myself to you. Kill me or don’t. Decide.” He said, dismissively.

“Kill you?” Katara said. “No, the Avatar wants you alive.”

“But I know you wouldn’t hesitate.”

“You know nothing about me.” Katara snapped, taking the bait. “You don’t know anything! You can’t even see that your own family has ruined thousands of lives for over a hundred years. You’re delusional!”

Zuko had no answer. He flexed his fingers, but his bending hadn’t returned. He thought that maybe if he could keep her talking, he could wait them out until he could fight again.

“Let’s get him out of here,” Suki said. “If we have to chi block him every hour on the hour, we will.”

 _Or not_ , Zuko thought.

“Police! Show yourselves.” Came a booming voice as several cops came around the corner.

“Let’s go!” Suki yelled, but before they could slip out of the alley, the cops had already surrounded them on one side. It was just the distraction Zuko needed, and he wrestled from the girls’ grip as they moved and took off sprinting through the square, blending with the crowd.

Katara pushed the two cops back with a blast of water and the girls quickly followed to pursue him. They didn’t get far before Katara was stopped in her tracks at the sight of Zuko being walked back toward them in handcuffs.

“She’s the waterbender. Get her!” Next thing she knew, Katara was being carted off with Zuko and the cops.

“We’ll get you out Katara!” Suki called after her, as she and the other girls ran to get away. “Don’t worry!”

“Wait for me at the gate!” she yelled back. “I’ll figure something out.”

Before she could process what was happening, Katara was sitting in an Earth Kingdom jail cell, only a few feet from Zuko.


	5. Chapter 5

“If she hadn’t chi blocked me, this wouldn’t even be happening,” Zuko mumbled.

“You were the one who attacked me first,” Katara said. They were sitting on their sides, facing away from each other.

“It wasn’t an attack,” Zuko said. “I wasn’t going to hit first.”

“Your first mistake.”

“The whole ‘scary’ thing doesn’t work for you.”

Katara rolled her eyes. “So, what _did_ you want to talk about, then?”

“I wanted to negotiate,” he explained. “The only leverage I have is myself. I couldn’t just let you take me back to the Fire Nation Capital without some sort of agreement.”

Katara said nothing, chewing on her lip with a skeptical curiosity. 

“You think I’m brainwashed. But I know Ozai is evil. If he and Azula aren’t a threat, then I have a chance at changing things in the Fire Nation. I don’t totally know how but…” 

Katara remained quiet as she trailed off. Zuko seemed fazed by her lack of response.

“I shouldn’t be telling you this.” He quickly backpedaled. “I haven’t slept.”

“Zuko, your father is dead,” Katara said. Zuko immediately turned around to face her, shocked.

“Azula broke out of her cell and electrocuted him. We showed up right after it happened and Aang took her bending. I left to come search for you here before she woke up.” Katara explained.

Zuko was quiet for a while, but Katara still didn’t turn around to look at him.

“She’s losing her mind,” Zuko finally said. “She doesn’t know what she’s doing. She thinks she still has a chance at being Fire Lord.”

“She has no power now,” Katara assured him. “She has no bending, and she’s still locked up.”

“This won’t be the last thing she tries,” Zuko replied. “And now, without her bending…she’ll think she has nothing to lose. I have to save her.”

It was Katara’s turn to turn around and look at him, incredulously. She believed that he hadn’t slept. His eyes were tired and haggard. He was deep in thought, not meeting her gaze.

“Save her?” she asked. “She’s been trying to murder you.”

“Besides my uncle, she’s my only family now,” Zuko said.

“I'm not sure I could do that,” Katara replied softly. 

“Family isn’t rational.”

“But isn’t turning on your own the biggest betrayal?” Katara asked. “She turned on you.”

“That’s exactly why I can’t turn my back now,” Zuko replied. “I’m her family whether I like it or not. I’ll be the last of the royal family if she dies.”

“What about your mother?” Katara asked. She’d never heard about Ozai’s wife.

“My mother is…gone,” Zuko said. “She sacrificed herself to protect me.” Katara thought back to the portrait she’d seen in Iroh’s bedroom and frowned.

“That’s something we have in common,” Katara said. “The Fire Nation killed my mother when I was very young. She refused to give me up as a waterbender when our village was raided. Your father is the reason my mother had to sacrifice herself just so I could live.”

“I’m sorry,” Zuko said, after some silence. Katara was somewhat stunned by the sincerity in his voice.

“I understand why you must hate me. When I was trying to capture Aang, I had one focus- one mission. As that started to fall apart, I started paying attention to the way things were. I thought that my home was striving for greatness as a kid, but really everyone we met had a story about how the Fire Nation had taken so much from them.”

“Why are you saying this to me?” Katara said, unable to stop the anger from rising in her voice. She was utterly confused by him.

“I don’t know.” He said, turning the scared side of his face to look at his feet. “I’m hoping you’ll at least believe me when I say I’m not trying to take down the Avatar. I want the war to end, same as you.”

“I believe you,” Katara said. She’d never expected this response from Zuko, and she was still cautious. But, she was inclined to think he was being honest.

“When the guards come, I need you to bloodbend them.” He said suddenly.

“What?”

“We have to get out of here,” Zuko said. “When they figure out who I am, they’ll kill me. They’re probably planning to take us to the upper ring soon. There’s no water in here. When the guards come, wait until they’ve got the key in-“

They heard a door swing open, silencing Zuko as the took a step away from each other. They’d have no time to hash out the details of the plan. Katara had no choice. It was now or never. 

“Alright.” the guard said, keys jingling as he pulled them from his hip. Katara heard the key click into the lock. “Time to-“

He stopped moving, letting out a pained grunt. Zuko jumped to his feet, and Katara released her bloodbending grip. Zuko kicked in the guard’s direction and he stumbled backward before crumbling to the ground. With some effort, Zuko managed to grab the key and turn it, setting them free.

Katara followed closely behind him, in disbelief at how quickly it had all unfolded. They started sprinting from the jail, dodging the crowds and trying to orient themselves. Now they just needed to find the others and they could return to the palace. She couldn’t believe her luck.

“Suki and the others should be waiting by the gate. It should only have been a few hours-“

“I’m sorry, Katara,” Zuko yelled, suddenly, over the noise of the crowd as they ran. “I’ll explain soon.”

“What-"

Zuko abruptly turned to the right, bounding up the steps of a monorail platform and launching himself toward passing train, grabbing onto it and pulling his body flush to the side. Within seconds, the train sped out of sight.

Katara stopped in her tracks, trying to catch her breath. She watched him disappear into the city lights. He didn’t look back.


	6. Chapter 6

Zuko couldn’t get Katara’s words out of his head.

_Your father is the reason my mother had to sacrifice herself just so I could live._

At that moment, he realized that he could say the same. At least he liked to believe that since he had never truly learned the truth of what became of his mom. But it was too painful to imagine that she had left for any other reason. 

He had recognized that he and Katara were similar in many ways. She blamed herself for her mother’s death as much as she blamed the Fire Lord. Zuko could relate. He knew, no matter what the true reason was, that his mother left because of him. Whether to save him or escape him, it didn’t matter. He liked to think she saved his life. That there was some rational explanation for it all. But she was probably just dead. And he would never know the rest.

And as for Katara, he feared that he would never get the chance to make amends with her now. He had to do this right, and he just couldn’t give himself up yet. She would think he was trying to set her up, using her to get out of the prison. And maybe she was right. Even still, he thought that maybe he’d have the chance to redeem himself. That he’d march into the Fire Nation Capital with a plan, and an explanation.

Zuko knew that he was probably what Katara pictured when she thought of the Fire Nation. When she imagined the man that took her mother’s life. He wouldn’t dare dream of her forgiveness, but he knew he’d fight for the chance to explain himself fully.

For now, he had a plan to carry out. He was going to end the war and save Azula. He was going to set things right in the Fire Nation, but he had to get home undetected to do it. Coming to Ba Sing Se had been a mistake. Now, there was only one person within the castle walls he could go to for help, and he dreaded it. But he knew there was no other choice.

At the train’s next stop, he’d managed to hop off the side of the train undetected and blend into the crowd. He knew there’d be a train headed for the Fire Nation colony of Yu Dao. He could take this and travel back to the Capital from there. He just had to keep a low profile and he’d make it alright.

He made his way onto the train unnoticed, and finally had a chance to catch his breath. Sighing, he sat back in his seat and pulled his hood down. Luckily, the train car was pretty empty.

“Psst.” Zuko looked down to see a young girl, probably no older than eight, smiling up at him.

“Hi.” He said, looking around to see if she had family nearby.

“Did a firebender give you that scar?” the girl asked, with the unabashed curiosity that only kids can muster.

“Yiri!” a woman’s voice caught their attention. “What did I tell you about wandering off?”

The woman grabbed her daughter’s hand and sat in the seat across from him, pulling the little girl up to sit beside her.

“I’m sorry about her.” The woman said. “She’s too curious for her own good.”

“It’s alright,” Zuko said, pulling his hood down.

“I’m Noa.” She said, with a genuine smile. “And you’ve already met Yiri.”

“I’m…Lee.” He said before he could think.

“So, what about the scar?” the little girl asked again.

“Yiri-“ the mortified mother began to interrupt.

“No, it’s ok,” Zuko said. “Yes, uh, a firebender gave it to me.”

“Mine too!” the little girl said, matter of fact. She rolled her sleeve up to show off a red scar that wrapped from her wrist almost up to her shoulder. It was an unmistakable burn. Zuko’s mouth went dry.

“I’m so sorry.” He said, turning to look at Noa. She nodded solemnly.

“It was the worst day of my life, the day they came for our village.” She said. “Are you a refugee as well?” Zuko nodded, immediately.

“You must’ve been too young to enlist when things were at their peak.” She mused. 

Zuko was struck by this comment. He had never considered it before. He and Azula had never been told they were too young for anything. Azula was essentially helping to lead the Fire Nation army by the time she was 14.

He’d been sent on a mission to kidnap the Avatar before he would’ve been old enough to fight as a soldier. He thought that it had set them apart. At least in Azula’s case, they treated her like a prodigy. But in truth, he realized, they were just pawns.

“How do you like Ba Sing Se?” she asked. “I’ve tried to get used to it, but I miss the quiet of our small town. And it’s hard to make a living. I haven’t heard of anyone working their way out of the lower ring since we’ve been here.”

“It’s definitely different,” was all Zuko could muster. Noa sighed as Yiri turned to sit up on her knees in her seat, looking out the train window.

“Well, I suppose it’s nice for her to see she’s not the only one with a scar,” Noa said with a well-meaning smile. “Not that she’s at all embarrassed by it.”

Zuko always imagined that the Fire Nation was attacking soldiers. Grown, strong men that fought back. But the decades of invasions had scarred innocent people, destroyed families, and wiped out an entire peaceful civilization. Zuko was raised for war. He’d learned that his stake in the Fire Nation’s future was personal. But for Yiri, and for so many kids, their lives had changed overnight for something that had nothing to do with them.

“At least it may be over soon. I hear the Avatar is in the Fire Nation. That he killed the Fire Lord. Of course, there’s no official news but that’s just the rumor I’ve heard.” Zuko nodded politely.

“Do you think things will change?” Zuko asked the woman. “Do you think it’s possible for things to get better?”

“That’s beyond my pay grade.” She replied with a chuckle. “I think if we have good leaders, sure. People who truly want what’s best for the world. But I can’t be that naïve after everything we’ve seen.”


	7. Chapter 7

Katara made her way to the gate at the city’s edge. She managed to sneak through it, knowing that Suki and the others were probably hiding out near the edge of the forest. They appeared silently and stealthily, bursting with curiosity at what had happened.

Katara explained, crestfallen, but she left out quite a few details of their conversation in the cell. She told them that Zuko said he wasn’t going after Aang anymore. That he seemed sorry about what the Fire Nation had done. And then, at the first opportunity, he escaped again.

“He played you,” Suki said. “I’m sorry, Katara.”

Katara nodded, trying and failing to make sense of it all. The strangest thing was that she didn’t _feel_ lied to. She didn’t feel like Zuko had played her. But, maybe that’s why he was so good at it. She couldn’t get his last words out of her mind.

_I’ll explain soon._

“We need a new plan,” Katara said finally. “We can’t just keep chasing him like this. We’ll go back to see Aang the others and figure out what’s next.”

“Works for us,” Suki said sympathetically.

“For what it’s worth, you looked like a badass fighting him in the square,” Lia added.

Katara let out a sleep-deprived giggle, despite herself. The girls were relieved, breaking the disappointed silence with laughter. The sun was beginning to come up, but they’d been on the move for almost 24 hours. They decided to camp until they could get some rest, but as exhausted as Katara was, she couldn’t sleep.

She sat on a large rock near the camp, looking up at the stars that were fading as the sky turned orange. Suki, equally restless, joined her.

“So,” She said. “Let me get this straight. In just a few days, you fought Zuko and Azula. Then you tracked down Zuko undercover. Fought Zuko. Got thrown into jail with Zuko and, then, escaped jail.”

“Just another day.” Katara joked. Suki smiled back, but she was worried for her friend.

“I saw the way you talked to him in that alley,” Suki said. “It was like you became a new person.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know.” She said, hesitantly. “You were kind of…scary.”

“I guess I’ve realized we’re similar,” Katara said, struggling to explain. “It makes it harder, I guess. I wish we could just get this over with. But it really seemed like he wants to do the right thing. I believed him.”

Suki shrugged, nodding.

“Who knows? Maybe we’ll head back to the Capital and find him waiting for us.” Suki said. “Or we never see him again. We’ll figure it out one way or another.”

“I’m glad I had you guys there today. I had no idea what to do.” Katara said. “I feel like I’m just stumbling through all this- and now I have to go back and explain that he got away.” 

“You did your best,” Suki assured her.

Katara nodded, but she couldn’t allow herself to believe it. The entire mission felt botched and like a complete waste of time. She felt like she’d failed.

The most maddening part was that Zuko was no longer some distant enemy. Sure, she’d encountered him a few times up until the fight with Azula. But she didn’t know him and she didn’t need to. Now that she’d spoken to him, she couldn’t ignore how much of him she had yet to understand.

Maybe she was naïve and too trusting. She hadn’t forgiven him, nor would she ever forgive him- especially not for the pang she felt in her chest when he jumped onto that train.

In that brief moment, as they ran through the crowd, she felt hope for the first time in a while. A tiny voice in her head whispered that she could _maybe_ trust him. And just as quickly, he’d shattered it.

For that, the anger came flooding back.

* * *

Katara woke as if the whole ordeal had been a dream. It was impossible to imagine the struggles they’d faced in Ba Sing Se when the sun was streaming through the windows of the Fire Palace, casting patterns around the room. She woke on soft sheets, in a silent bedroom that she had to herself, well-rested for the first time since she fought Zuko. Her worries hadn’t subsided, but the exhaustion eventually won out after they returned to the palace. 

Katara allowed herself to linger in bed a bit longer before she got up and walked to the terrace, looking out over the eerily quiet city. The people who remained often stayed inside. She watched as the odd straggler would walk past the court walls, looking down as they passed their neighbors or uniformed officers. And further on the horizon, just outside the city walls, angry masses came and went. The war fizzled on in their minds.

As she returned to her room, she moved to get dressed when she heard something whizz past her head. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she ducked down.

She quickly bent some water from her pack, adrenaline already coursing through her. But it was quiet again. She looked to the wall to see that it was a small knife that had flown past her. She recognized it as one of Mai’s. There was a slip of paper fastened to it.

“Come out, Mai!” she called into the silence. “I know it’s you.”

But again, she got no response. After another moment of looking around the room, she got up to check the knife. Gathering the water into one hand, she plucked the knife from the wall with another.

The paper listed Mai’s address with a small message beneath it.

_Come alone after dark. I’ll explain everything._

It was an invitation from Zuko. Katara immediately made her decision. She wasn’t going to fall for his lies again.


	8. Chapter 8

Katara spent the day trying to focus on her friends’ questions about Zuko, but she found herself constantly lost in thought. Toph noticed immediately that something was off about her, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Sokka and Aang bounced ideas back and forth about what to do next, and Suki helped fill in some of the gaps for them when Katara was only half listening.

The day dragged on. It was as if the sun simply refused to set over yet another large and ornate room in the palace.

“You alright?” Toph leaned over to ask her at dinner. “You seem weird.”

“I think I’m still just tired,” Katara said, which wasn’t fully a lie.

“Yeah, this week has sucked.” She replied, going back to her food. Toph wasn’t satisfied with that answer, but she let it lie.

Katara knew from the teams’ worried expressions that they were on edge about Zuko, wanting to know what happened in detail. She’d told them everything she told Suki. They knew how things had gone down in Ba Sing Se, but they didn’t know about their conversation. She kept most of what he’d said between the two of them, trying to recite it in her mind so as to never forget it.

_Family isn’t rational. My mother is gone. I’m sorry._

When she looked up and realized she could no longer see the sun over the horizon, Katara quickly excused herself from the table.

“I think I could use a little more sleep,” she said as she got up. No one protested.

She made it back to her room and locked the door behind her, her mind racing. She felt a twinge of guilt at sneaking away from the group, for acting alone. But she convinced herself that if she could pull this off, it would be worth it. After all, no one else had spoken to Zuko like she had.

She wasted no time climbing down from a tree that she could reach from the terrace, making her way silently through the dark streets to Mai’s family home. Her parent’s and younger sister had fled the Capital once Aang had taken Ozai’s bending, but Mai and Ty Lee had chosen to stay and fight with Azula. That landed them in house arrest until they could figure out what Azula’s fate would be. They had guards posted around the hours at all hours.

_Of course, Zuko figured out a way to hide out there,_ Katara thought. Either that or this was a trap. She had to find a way to surprise the people who were waiting for her.

When she reached the house, she climbed silently up the side of Mai’s terrace, hiding with her back against the wall so she could listen in from around the corner. She could hear Mai and Ty Lee in the main room. The doors to the terrace were open.

“Do you think she’ll really show?” Ty Lee asked.

“There’s no way Zuko’s getting the Avatar’s little girlfriend to save him” Mai replied in her usual deadpan.

Katara had an idea. She pulled some water from her pack and sent it slowly and quietly toward the fire-lit lamps at either side of the terrace entrance. She let the water fall, extinguishing the lights suddenly.

She heard the two girls gasp, their chairs sliding against the floor as they pushed back from the table. 

Katara quickly turned the corner, showing herself. In a flash, she sent water flying toward their boots, quite literally freezing them in place. The girls were stunned silent.

“Where is Zuko?” she asked, just above a whisper. Mai sighed, but she knew Katara had them beat. Still, she refused to talk.

“The bedroom at the end of the hall.” Ty Lee replied, quietly.

With that, she made her way to Zuko’s room with determined steps and a stone expression. She flung the door open and saw a bewildered Zuko sitting behind a desk. She immediately sent two blasts of water flying by either side of his head.

“Katara-“ he began as he jumped out from behind the desk. “Before you do anything, let me explain-“

He was quickly interrupted. Katara leaped toward him, grabbing the front of his shirt in her fist as if trying to push him back into the corner of the room. He grabbed her wrist and planted his feet.

“You can explain why lied to me.” Katara said fiercely. “I wanted to trust you and you used me.”

“I didn’t use you!” Zuko said. “I didn’t have time to explain. I needed the leverage-”

“You’re selfish,” Katara said. “You let me believe you’d changed just so you could have all of this exactly how you wanted it.”

“I’m on your side, Katara,” Zuko said. “But, if I’d gone back with you, I risked my chance to save Azula- and myself. I’d have nothing to offer if I just agreed to come back. I’m sorry that I couldn’t tell you my plan. You were hunting me down. I didn’t know for sure if I’d still be able to negotiate with Aang if I trusted you.”

They became aware of how close they were to each other. Zuko could hear her quiet shaky breathing. He let go of her hands and she let go of his shirt before taking a step back from him. She thought for a moment before she continued.

“Why would you say those things? Why would you tell me about your mother…your sister?” Katara said slowly.

“I wasn’t using you.” He said, earnestly. “I wanted you to know that I was serious about ending the war. I had a plan to get us both out of that prison. I was going to ask you to let me see Azula first, so I’d know she was still alive. And then you could deliver a message to Aang that I was ready to end this war.”

“Why would you think I’d ever agree to that?” Katara shot back.

“Katara, you understand what it’s like to have your family torn apart by this war. I’ve struggled to do what’s right in the past, but I know one thing for sure. My father has torn my family apart, and he’s ruined the Fire Nation. I want to try and make things right, to restore peace. I swear.” 

Again, Katara paused.

“I can’t forgive you.” She said finally, turning her face from him. “I can’t trust you.”

Zuko didn’t look away from her. He studied her face.

“But you want to.” He said softly as if realizing it for the first time.

“I won’t,” Katara said as if trying to convince herself. 

“I can prove myself to you.” He replied, moving to grab something from the desk.

“What do you mean?” He placed an envelope in her hand.

“There are tunnels that stretch for miles under the court. They have all kinds of archives and hidden libraries. I went to one of the hidden archives when I first got back here.” He said. “I wanted to find some documents that would be useful when I spoke to Aang. But I also found this.”

Katara looked at the envelope skeptically.

“Consider it an appreciation gift. Or an apology. Read it, and then you can decide to give me up or not. I’ll respect your decision.” Katara shook her head.

“You’re asking me to betray everyone- to side with the Fire Nation- for whatever is in here?” Katara asked, not moving to open the envelope.

“You have to believe me,” Zuko urged her. “Read this, and I’ll accept whatever you decide to do.”

Katara gave in with a sigh and opened the envelope as curiosity won out. She revealed a short stack of papers. It was a military file for a retired Fire Nation soldier. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the soldier’s portrait at the top of the first page.

It was the man who killed her mother.

She recognized him so quickly that she was stunned. She had his name, Yon Rha. She had his address. All the information the Fire Nation had about him, Zuko had given it to her. She fought the painful lump in her throat, refusing to let tears well up in her eyes.

“You deserve closure,” He said, quietly, not making eye contact. “I wanted to help. I was able to find out who was leading the Water Tribe raids.”

“How do I know you’re not just doing this to get to Aang on your terms?” Katara asked, clearing her throat.

“This is something I can offer. To you, but also to Aang and your friends. I can give you everything that’s hidden underneath this court. There are some tunnels that only Azula knows about. It would take years to uncover everything- even with earthbending.” Zuko said. “I can offer what I know. To set things right.”

Katara said nothing for a moment, staring the portrait of Yon Rha.

“If I take you to Azula,” Katara began. “you’ll let me turn you in?”

“Yes,” Zuko said, sincerely. “I’ll go whenever you’re ready.” She looked down at the papers in her hand yet again in disbelief at what she was doing.

“Thank you.” She said, gesturing toward the file before she looked up to lock eyes with him. “But if you try anything like you did in Ba Sing Se- you end up in a cell for good.” Zuko nodded.

“I’m in your hands now.” He said.


	9. Chapter 9

  
Katara considered that she could tell the others as they prepared to leave. She could figure out a way to simply turn him in when they arrived. 

If they’d been deciding this as a group, the others would never go for it, she thought. It was too risky and Zuko and Azula could be plotting something. But even still, something was telling her to believe him. Katara was going to trust her instincts. She knew that it was more than just a risk- it was stupid. But here she was, doing it anyway. 

Their conversation had been overwhelming. She felt that she still hadn’t come up for air after it. But they had no time to waste. The quicker she could take him to Azula, the quicker she could lock him up and talk to Aang. 

In other circumstances, Zuko would’ve had to stifle a laugh at discovering a disgruntled Mai and Ty Lee still frozen the floor when they left the room. Katara was apologetic as she let them go but she didn’t explain herself. The girls knew that the waterbender did what she had to, and Katara had bigger things to worry about as they set off to sneak inside Zuko’s former home. 

The early morning darkness worked in their favor as they moved unnoticed through the city, trying to stay as silent as possible as Katara led him into the court. So far, so good. 

They approached the entrance to the palace jail, and she motioned for him to duck behind a column. Katara steeled herself and approached the guards with an air of authority, letting them know that she had Avatar business with Azula. 

“We can’t have anyone overhearing,” she told the two of them. “Why don’t you take an hour break? I’ll keep an eye on things.” They wore puzzled expressions, but they listened to her, nonetheless. The two of them ambled away from their post after she’d received the keys from them. 

On Katara’s signal, Zuko ran to follow her inside. It was a dark and dingy hallway, and Zuko immediately created some fire in his palm to light their way. He imagined his father’s last moments here. He imagined his face as his own daughter was the one to finally take him down. Zuko thought that Aang, in truth, had probably beaten her to the punch. No one feared Ozai once his bending was gone, and without fear he was nothing. 

Within a few minutes, Katara was unlocking the door to Azula’s cell. She sat up in her makeshift bed, bleary-eyed, and caught off guard. Her haggard and dejected appearance was so different from her usual self. She’d always been put-together and stoic. Zuko never thought he’d see her look so weak. 

“What do you want?” she snapped when she saw Katara. Azula’s face then twisted into a sinister smile when she saw her brother’s face come into view. 

“Aw, Zuzu.” She replied, narrowing her eyes. “Did they get you too?” 

“No. I came here to make sure you were alright. I’m going to talk with the Avatar and the other nations,” He explained. “I want to end the war.” 

“Talk?” she replied. “Figures. You never did have the stomach to do what was necessary when things got real.” 

“You mean like murdering your own father?” Zuko challenged her. 

“Please, don’t act like you’re grieving him,” Azula replied. “It needed to happen, didn’t it? And neither you or the Avatar could make it happen! I sacrificed my bending to take down the Fire Lord, while you disappeared like a coward. Just like mom.” 

“Azula, enough!” Zuko said, losing his patience as he tried to reason with her. “We aren’t our parents. We don’t have to be. I know you’ve only ever acted this way because you’re hurting, and we can help you get better. I know that has to be what really what you want.” Azula began to cry silent, angry tears. 

“I wanted to rule! And I was ready for it. I sacrificed everything. If I was hated, it didn’t matter. If cities burned, it didn’t matter. Because there was no other option! And now it’s too late. The Avatar and his disciples have made it so I can never be Fire Lord.” She spat, bitterly.

“Katara has agreed to help me negotiate your release. But there’s no point if you don’t want it. You have to let go of our father’s sick plans.” He explained. 

“Why _are_ you doing this?” Azula asked suddenly, turning to stare down Katara. 

Before Katara could answer, the three of them jumped at the sound of the metal door creaking open. Aang, Sokka, and Toph were standing in the doorway at the end of the hall of cells. 

“Katara?” Aang asked.


	10. Chapter 10

Aang’s eyebrows knit together as he spotted Zuko, who’s fire cast shadows onto his and Katara’s face. Katara shut the door to Azula’s cell without a word and prepared to face them. 

“What’s going on?” Toph asked. Aang immediately got into an airbending stance. Sokka already had his boomerang in hand.

“Zuko’s on our side!” Katara blurted out, panicked.

“You said he got away.” Aang insisted. 

“He did! But then he showed up here and we came to an agreement-"

“What are you talking about?” Aang interrupted. “You’re helping him?”

Without thinking, he sent two blasts of air sailing toward them. Zuko’s hand snaked around Katara’s waist as he pulled her out of the way at the last second, the gusts sweeping her hair back over his shoulder. Zuko didn’t move to hit back. 

“Aang!” She shouted as she gathered two orbs of water in each hand. “We’re not doing this.”

“I’m not here to fight you,” Zuko said. “Katara is turning me in.”

“You don’t get to decide how this works,” Aang said, glaring at Zuko before fixing his gaze onto Katara. “We work as a team. No one makes decisions alone.”

Katara frowned, as that familiar pang of guilt washed over her. Aang was right.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you. But I just found out he was here today. He needed proof that Azula was alive and then I was going to keep him here until you could talk.” Katara said. “Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t go behind your back. But, I had to make sure we got this right.”

“You’re letting yourself get manipulated,” Aang said. “And you put everyone else at risk.”

“That’s not fair, Aang,” Katara said.

“You told us how he lied to you in Ba Sing Se,” Sokka said, staring Zuko down. “He attacked you.”

“I regret everything,” Zuko said. “I promise I’m here to surrender. I sought her help alone. I’m sorry.”

With a little more convincing, they agreed Zuko would spend the night in the palace jail and they would meet first thing in the morning. Aang couldn’t put a name to what he felt when he saw the two of them together. He couldn’t fathom how Katara would be convinced to secretly help him after seeing the way they’d fought. Her kindness really did know no bounds, and he was afraid she’d only be hurt.

Aang believed that Zuko and Azula could be reasoned with. That anyone could redeem themselves. But that didn’t mean they could be trusted, at least for now.

He had no idea what to do about the two siblings.

After it was all over, Katara left the scene without saying a word to anyone. She’d returned to her room and shut the door behind her, letting her back press against it for a moment. She exhaled before crossing the floor and collapsing unceremoniously onto her bed, staring at the ceiling above. She pulled Zuko’s envelope from her pocket and looked at the photo again. She didn’t fight the tears rolled down her cheeks this time.

She cried for her mother, who had given everything. Katara mourned her absence, and selfishly, all that was missing from her life without her mother in it. She cried for Zuko, who despite everything, had shown her this kindness. He had sought out this man’s file and offered him up so easily to her. Katara didn’t know what to make of it.

His gift, at its very worst, was another man’s life. He wanted to give her revenge. She was afraid to know someone that indulged that darkest part of her, who could understand the grief. He had afforded her the anger that Aang had always been wary of.

Zuko wasn’t afraid of her power, and that scared her most of all. But she had to confess to herself that the whole thing felt...liberating.

Katara knew she spoke about her mother often, but she had never admitted to her thoughts about this man. She never dared divulge the times she spent wondering what she’d do if she ever saw her mother’s killer. How was it that Zuko seemed to recognize that secret desire within only a few days?

“Katara?” came a whispering Sokka, peeking in at the door.

“Come in,” Katara said, sniffling and sitting up.

“You alright?” her brother asked, sitting down next to her.

Katara held nothing back as she explained everything to Sokka. She laid out everything that Zuko had done. She told him about Mai and Ty Lee, and the envelope and their mother’s killer.

“I was planning to tell you tomorrow,” Katara said. “I’m sorry for keeping secrets from you.” Sokka was speechless. He studied Yon Rha’s file for several minutes before speaking up.

“So, this guy…you want to go find him?” He didn’t phrase it like a question.

“Once the dust settles with all this, I could,” Katara replied.

Sokka nodded, wrapping a comforting arm around Katara as she pushed a rogue tear back with her hand. He didn’t say anything more about their mother, knowing when it was best to shut up around his sister. And truthfully, he still needed to process everything she’d shared. 

He was the only other person that truly knew the impact of their mother's death. She was everything they’d lost in their youth. But, it had affected them differently. Katara had to step up for their family, far too young. He was happy just to be there for her now.

After they sat in silence for a while, Sokka cleared his throat. He wasn’t totally sure how to change the subject.

“I can’t believe we’re almost to the end.” He said. “The war will be over. Officially.”

“Don’t jinx it,” Katara replied with a wry smile. “But yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“I think mom would be proud of what you’ve done,” Sokka told his sister. “Don’t tell Aang I’m saying this. It was definitely stupid, but it was ultimately for the people you love. You did it for us.” Katara smiled at that.

“Let’s hope everyone else sees it that way.” She replied.

“They’ll come around,” Sokka said. “And if they don’t, you’ll just have to settle for me.”

With that, Sokka stood to put out the lanterns in Katara’s room before shutting the door behind him. Katara, still in her day clothes, eventually sunk into a dreamless sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Katara nervously smoothed the skirt of her dress, tapping her foot against the ground.

“Hey, can you knock that off?” Toph whispered. She was always on edge when forced to wear something formal.

“Sorry,” Katara mumbled back, willing herself to keep her feet still. Important people from every nation were filing into the ornate room, whispering and gossiping softly to each other. It was a small group, but intimidating still.

It had only been two weeks since the night that she brought Zuko to Azula. Katara had agreed not to visit him, and she’d kept her word, but she drove herself crazy wondering about him. He’d spent the last two weeks consulting with Aang and leaders from both the Water Tribe and the Earth Kingdom to draft a treaty. Today was the day that Zuko would officially surrender the Fire Nation and end the Hundred Year War. The rumors and conspiracy theories spread quickly through the Fire Nation. Some thought Zuko was plotting something, while others thought he was actually dead.

Katara was sitting between Sokka and Toph, while Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors had taken their seats in beside them. She could hear rain pouring down on the roof above, and muffled thunder cracking in the distance. Katara turned her head to the front of the hall when she heard the echoey chatter die down. Zuko and Aang had appeared. The room seemed to slow to a complete stop.

“Whenever you’re ready.” Aang prompted. Sokka placed a comforting hand on Katara’s for just a moment. Zuko took a deep breath and began to read, somewhat clumsily, what he’d prepared.

He expressed gratitude for the audience and an understanding that the Fire Nation had long been an enemy to the rest of the world. He shared an understanding of the harm that the war had caused. The room listened with rapt attention. Zuko took a breath.

“It’s become clear that a monarchy in the Fire Nation cannot continue,” Zuko said. “I am renouncing my claim to the title of Fire Lord and will instead call for the dissolution of the throne.” 

Katara exchanged surprised glances with Suki and Sokka, and the crowd began to rumble with quiet comments being whispered back and forth. Katara couldn’t gauge whether the response was more positive or negative.

Zuko continued his speech, but by then Katara couldn’t focus on his words. Zuko lowered his paper and exhaled in relief, looking up immediately at Katara. As he concluded, the room was dismissed and people began to make their way into the next room. The Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe would need to discuss the news. Katara, Sokka, and Toph stayed behind, waiting for Zuko and Aang to break the uneasy silence. Aang was the first to speak up. 

“You don’t want to be Fire Lord?” Aang asked him. “You’d be ending thousands of years of tradition.”

“I think it’s the only way forward,” Zuko replied, and he was sure of himself. His family would forever be remembered in the Fire Nation, but he could create his own legacy. The best thing he could do for the world was sacrifice his title, he decided. This nation couldn’t have a single leader if it was meant to survive.

It took hours for the treaty to be finalized, and by the end of it, the group felt that they’d barely scratched the surface of what was to come. But the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe seemed satisfied for now, and Aang was already beginning to feel relieved.

With his signature, Zuko was no longer royalty. He shook hands and exchanged polite sentiments with the others but his mind was elsewhere. He lingered for a moment, hanging back from the group as everyone headed for the door. The room was silent, save for the distant sound of rain.

He looked up to the portraits of his ancestors on the walls. They had made impossible decisions in the past, probably some of them in the very same room. He thought that in a way, he was doing the same. He had just ended his family’s rule, something his ancestors would consider beyond betrayal, and all he felt was peace. Things would never be the same.

Zuko finally made his way into the wide hall which led out to the terraces. He saw Katara standing by one of the large pillars, watching the gray skies as they swirled. The hall had quickly cleared out, as he noticed the others were already turning the corner. She’d been waiting to catch up with him.

Katara turned her head as she noticed him walking up to stand beside her. He quickened his pace slightly. They stood facing each other in silence for a few moments.

Before Zuko could say anything, Katara placed both of her hands on the sides of his face and leaned up to kiss him. His body immediately relaxed into her touch, and time seemed to slow. Katara pulled away after a few moments, her eyes searching his, waiting for a sign that it was all in her head.

Instead, he pressed his lips to hers again. Lightning struck in the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who's been reading and keeping up with this! It's kind of all over the place as far as the liberties I'm taking with the canon haha but I'm glad folks are still enjoying it. This is the second to last chapter. I'll have the final one posted either tonight or tomorrow!


	12. Chapter 12

The festival was unlike anything they’d experienced before. The war was over, the Fire Council election results were finalized, and there was a change in the air. The fear had given way to relief and joy at the end of a century-long struggle. It was indescribable.

Azula watched the square below from her window. She still wasn’t used to her new room. It was always quiet. She’d spend what felt like weeks on end drumming her nails against the table in the corner, watching the strangers below. She didn’t have regular visitors, with the exception of Mai.

Mai came a few times a week, to sit with her and bring her books or try to get her to play Paisho. Azula let Mai do most of the talking, updating her on the changes to the city or gossiping about Ty Lee and their other school friends.

Azula struggled to accept that everything was real. Her father was dead, and she would never be Fire Lord. She had perfected her power, dedicating her life it, only for it to be taken away.

She wished she could talk to her mother.

At first, this realization scared her. Her mother was her biggest distraction during her training growing up. She remembered the many days that her mother had scolded her for tormenting Zuko. She wouldn’t be able to shake the thought of her mother’s disappointed expression as she practiced her forms. She’d slip up, make mistakes.

So she wouldn’t think about her. She wouldn’t seek her attention. She’d live without. She’d focus. It wasn’t conscious, but it was a choice she made at some point as a girl.

But now, there was no reason not to think of her mother. There was no reason not to wonder why her mother disappeared. To wonder if it was because of her. That was the biggest difference.

Azula was allowed to be sad or weak if she needed to- if she wanted to. Strength was no longer a requirement. Everything she knew had disappeared, but so had the pressure. For now, it was enough to just take a breath.

And then there was Zuko. She could see him just barely from her window. She spotted him talking with Sokka and Aang, with Aang placing a hand on his shoulder. There was a crowd of important-looking people gathered within the palace gates, celebrating away from the rest of the city. Zuko couldn’t join the celebration beyond the gates because they feared he’d be assassinated. His decision had faced mixed reactions.

Not that he had any _real_ power anymore. He’d given it all up. Their entire family legacy, everything the royal family once was. He signed it away like it was _nothing._ For what, Azula couldn’t understand. She would often let herself wallow, getting angry at how she’d had no say. No bending. No purpose.

But then she’d think of how he came back for her. Even after she’d tried to kill him, even after she’d killed their father. She’d been more than cruel, but he protected her. She was undeserving, but he’d done it anyway.

She watched two children playing in the street below, sending sparks toward the others’ feet, laughing without a care in the world. Her expression softened, and her eyes stung with tears.

Meanwhile, Zuko was listening as Katara and Toph were reminiscing on a story from when they were kids. Sokka and Aang couldn’t stop laughing if they tried. Zuko smiled as he listened.

“But, look at us now,” Sokka said. “We’re _world leaders.”_

“Speak for yourself.” Said Toph, leaning against Katara on a nearby bench. “I’m never dealing with politics again after being around you guys.”

Suki laughed and put her arms around Sokka’s neck from behind, kissing his cheek before squeezing in next to Toph on the bench. Zuko crossed his arms.

“It’s a new era for Team Avatar, huh?” Aang said.

“I guess it is,” Katara replied.

They soaked up the bittersweetness of the moment. They’d spent so much of the past years doing everything together. The group tried not to think too hard about what the future would bring and spent the rest of the night focusing on the good things. Remembering the lifetime that they’d already lived, knowing that there was still so much left out there for them.

Zuko waited for a moment to catch Katara alone. The others had wandered from the guarded courtyard to join the celebration outside. Katara told them she’d catch up later, giving him a pointed look. She felt a hand on her arm as she was walking back from the crowd.

“Sit with me?” Zuko asked, nodding his head toward a pond.

“I have a better idea,” Katara said. “Come on.”

They made their way through the oblivious crowd, hand in hand, unnoticed as the night got livelier. She led him to the back of a shed at the edge of the courtyard, away from everyone. She began climbing up the side of the stone fence and caught her balance at the top before hopping onto the nearby roof. 

“Come on!” she repeated, laughing as he watched her, unsure. He followed her up and looked out over the city.

The view from their perch on the roof was breathtaking. The entire city was lit up with celebrations. Fireworks boomed in the distance and lanterns lined the streets below. Music filtered through the festival from all directions.

It had been several weeks since she’d kissed him. They’d told no one. All Zuko had wanted to do since that moment was be with her.

He’d leave notes under her door. She’d give him knowing glances at dinners. They’d sneak away to find each other. It was exciting to keep a secret.

Team Avatar had slowly but surely begun to see what Katara had seen. It would take time, but she saw that he could fit in well among them. Every time he and Sokka spoke, Katara had to force herself to look away, not wanting to make her eavesdropping obvious. She wanted all of them to like Zuko, but especially her brother.

“It’s beautiful, Zuko said, looking out of the scene below.

“It still doesn’t feel real,” Katara said. Zuko hummed in agreement.

“What’s next?” she asked him.

“I found something.” He told her. “I have a lead on my mom. Some of her old letters showed up in the archives.”

“Really?” she replied. “That’s amazing.”

“I was hoping you’d come with me.” He said, suddenly. “You’re pretty good at tracking people down.” A smile crept onto Katara’s face. 

“Maybe I could join you,” She replied, feigning indecision. “I only have experience with Fire Nation princes, though.” He grumbled playfully but said nothing.

“Do you think I made the right choice?” he asked her. “Changing everything.”

“Do you regret it?”

“No,” he said immediately. “When I was trying to figure it out, I thought about you. It’s hard to explain. I guess that’s - I don’t know-”

“You don’t need to say anything,” Katara said, smiling at him. “I know what you mean.”

He moved and placed a hand on her cheek, tilting her face toward his. He kissed her this time, and she smiled into it. On this roof, high above everything, nothing else mattered. It was as if everything had conspired to make the moment happen, like a relentless force had driven them to each other.

“I’m on your side,” Zuko said. “for whatever’s next.” Katara grinned at him, fighting the urge to roll her eyes at his intensity. But she was immeasurably happy to hear it.

“You’d better be.” She told him, leaning against his shoulder as the world continued on below them.


End file.
